The invention relates to surgical retractors used in abdominal, thoracic and cardiac surgery, to properly retain the tissues surrounding the surgical incision, and more particularly relates to a retractor having a rotatable blade which is quickly and easily replaced by another blade.
In abdominal surgery, it is particularly important that the patient's abdominal region be well exposed to facilitate work by the surgeon. To effect this desired exposure, several surgical retractors are normally employed which engage and hold the skin apart at the incision during the course of the operation.
Most retractors comprise a handle connected to a blade. The blade can be of a variety of constructions including, for example, a paddle-like design or a finger-like configuration. The type of retractor blade used depends on a number of factors including, the size of the incision, the size of the patient and the type of surgery to be performed.
Oftentimes, a surgeon is required to change the type of retractor blade being used, during the course of an operation. To this end, a variety of interchangeable retractor blade systems have been proposed which allow for the blade to be released from the retractor handle whereby one blade can be removed and another put in its place. This type of arrangement allows a single retractor handle to be used with a variety of blades.
Some of the drawbacks of the interchangeable blade retractor of the prior art includes limited movement of the blade relative to the retractor handle, and the tendency of the blade to spontaneously disconnect from the handle during surgery.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an interchangeable retractor blade system wherein the retractor blade is locked firmly to the retractor handle and cannot be removed without positive action of the physician or other operating room personnel.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an interchangeable retractor blade system wherein the retractor blade is fully rotatable about its vertical axis when engaged with the retractor handle.